Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-29

perhaps why it is so popular with our sex.
But, to tell you the truth, Mr.. Digby, l
left the lawn for book, and l thought
this would make good reading arbor."
Walter then perceived dainty little
volume by her side, with SHELLEY" in
gold letters on the back. This was the
first time he had come across young lady
who read the author of "The Cenci." He
regarded her therefore with more interest.
Who shall define the limits of discus
sion on poetry between an erudite young
lady not twentv-one and well-read young
man not yet thirty? Walter, during his
day-dreaming, which had been considera-
Die, had drank deep at the Pierian spring
of poetry. MAY could discourse on Shell
ley's finest flights and Wordsworth's most
picturesque word-painting with fascinating
fluency. What wonder, then, that when 5
O'Clock came, Mrs Harrington had to come
in search of her to take her to tea. With
the evening came music. May still fur
ther enchanted Walter by singing, with a
clear accent and rich expression, some old
English ballads which he had not often
heard before
He was conscious of the indefinable i'm
preston May Templeton had made upon
him, as he walked home along the moonlit
pavement. He tried to deceive himself.
He had often been caught before" he
muttered, by pretty face and bewitch-
ing tongue but had never failed to sleep
off his emotion"
But morning found him as preoccupied
with Miss May Templeton, how she
looked, what she said, and what she sang,
as the night. When. as the days passed,
he could not absorb himself in his books,
or the arguments in the Court, he got angry
with himself.
at has ever been first principle with
me that it is only given to heirs of acres
or consols. the sons of Dukes or of Cabinet
Ministers, to marry young. 1t is not right
for a man who has TO make his way in the
world to take unto himself a wife Just as
he is making a start 1t is unjust to her
because she has to share his struggles and
strivings, and it is unfair to himself be-
cause it incumbers him in the race at the
beginning. 4 man should first make fair
start and get on to the high road. | have
not even done that yet, and, if | ever do,
hymenial age will be past. Yet here am
|, held fast by the first fair face, after my
birthday reformation"
No doubt this was a humiliating confess
sion. But Walter did not cure himself of
his folly. During the autumn he sought
Mrs. Lamington's drawing-room again and
again, whenever he knew or thought May
Templeton was to be there. The "mid-
night oil - was abandoned for the ball
room glitter. The Courts were left to get
on as well as they could without him,
while he strolled in the park or made
morning calls. 1t was very silly of him.
He was p and she was not 81; he had
graduated in the university Of life, while
she had only just left school-but there
the explanation can be left unsaid, and no
excuse can be offered.
One morning he found Mrs Harrington
in her sitting-room discussing with May
the latest marriage in their circle of ac-
quaintances. The bridegroom was a
young artist still living hand to mouth on
the Bloomsbury dealers. The failing of
his friend was an occasion for Walters
philosophy.
"Moncrieff must be mad He is ambi-
tious-aspires to be independent, vet fam
Gus as an artist. Vet he rashly enslaves
himself for an income by taking a wife
and setting up an establishment Why
couldn't they have waited until he could
be independent of pot-boiling' and superior
to dealers she inspiring him and he
striving for the future But no, arrived at
maturity, he has rushed into marriage
and probably doomed himself to a life of
mortified ambition"
Walter delivered himself of this exor-
dunn with much feeling, for it was his
constant elideayor to convert Mrs. Laming-
ton to his utiIitarianism 1t was not Mrs.
Lamington, but May, however, who re-
piled to the attack.
"Mr. Dieby, l detest your doctrine. Is it
not heresy to the poetry of youth Mar
riage to the truly ambitious mind do
not use the word in its ignoble sense-is
not matter of pounds, shillings and
pence, to be entered into at the most con-
venient season, when the wedding cake can
be the most Expensive and the breakfast
the most elaborate, the honeymoon the
most luxuri Gus and the establishment the
grandest. Marriage, if it really springs
from pure love, must come at the psyche
logical not the political moment
May paus ed and blushed as if ashamed
of her vehelnence.
You take the correct poetlcal view of
it, May; bu what about the practical ?"
inquired NJ $. Lamington, who was not
sure that poetical considerations would
have any efft ct upon Walters stoical spirit,
even though they were pleaded by May
Templeton.
Il attack Mr. Digby," May smilingly
replied, I" on the practical as well as the
poetical aspe Il of the subject. lie rightly
speaks of a Woman's inspiration to a mans
effort, but cannot this inspiration be con-
veyed in the love of wife as well as of a
fiancee? Does the love which lures men
to inspiring tolls in the inflated language
of Claude Melnotte, cease or diminish
with the honeymoon? Would the inspira-
ton he less efficacious or sustaining be-
cause it would be always available?'
Much more did May say in her warm
advocacy, every word of which so entered
the soul of Walter that as he was leaving
he could not refrain from saying:
You have completely conquered me,
May, by your eloquence. | am a convert
to your views from this day"
He left the house with very pleasur-
able sensation. He could not help think
ing that there was hidden significance in
Mays words-the first sudden manifesto
ton of her feelings for him. And natur-
ally during the next few days he was
afflicted by alternating hopes and fears.
The fourth put him out of his suspense.
He was alone with May for precious half
hour at Mrs. Lamington's, in which passed
from her lips the only secret which, ac-
cording to the Professor at the Breakfast
Table most women have to tell. Walter
was recklessly happy, and was anxious to
recant. by his own act, his former heresy
as soon as possible.
With this purpose in view he readily
accepted Mr.. Templeton's invitation to a
small dinner party. He had, through the
instrumentality of the matrimonial medi-
ator, Mrs Lamington, been present on sew
eral such occasions, and had eagerly seized
such opportunities of intercourse with
May as offered He had, moreover, be-
come a welcome guest at Mr.. Templeton's
table-a cool-headed, cynical man of bus
mess, who enjoyed, nevertheless, after
dinner philosophy-by his clever CONVEX
sation at wine. This evening, however,
when the hostess and her lady guests had
retired to the drawing room, he relapsed
into stolid silence. He was framing his
daring request to Mr. Templeton for the
hand of his daughter, and took little heed
of the flow of soul as it traversed finance,
politics, philosophy, the play, and finally
set on society small talk When If reached